


Hoppscotch

by Kanaynays



Series: Judy Hopps, Ace Police Officer [3]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Aromantic/Asexual Characters, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Platonic Life Partners, Yet Another Meet the Family fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-10
Packaged: 2018-05-31 00:12:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6447685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kanaynays/pseuds/Kanaynays
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick had only ever been a little nervous about the idea of meeting Judy's parents in-person, and the rest of her family didn't seem like too much of a stretch. What he hadn't counted on was how little some of them knew her, or that so many of them weren't nearly as progressive as she was.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hopps To It

When Nick had been younger he'd always fantasized about the life he'd have when he grew up. He'd pictured himself famous, surrounded by admiring fans and standing on the balcony of a huge, sparkling mansion or driving down Delta Road in a sleek, expensive car on his way to the Golden Palm Hotel.

He'd never have imagined the fox who stood at the gates of Little Rodentia with his thumbs tucked into the belt of his neat, fitted blue uniform, smirking as he watched his best friend telling off an echidna for trying to take a shortcut through the tiny town. He'd have scoffed at the very idea that the friend in question was a _rabbit_ , and it would have been _ridiculous_ to even _conceive_ that he wasn't just watching for fun, that the blue uniform and the badge on his chest made it his _job_ to be there at her side.

He glanced down at the badge when he knew she wasn't looking and allowed himself to straighten his back with pride. Oh, how times had changed.

When Judy finally made it back to him after passing the wrongdoer over to Rodentia's local authorities he greeted her with a grin, turned on his heel and matched her stride as they headed back towards central downtown. They'd been tasked with patrolling the area that day, but so far things had been relatively quiet. The echidna had been their first troublemaker all morning, and even she hadn't taken much sorting out. Well, on Nick's part anyway. The citizens of Little Rodentia weren't usually enthusiastic about the idea of a fox standing in their part of the city, so he'd left the issue for Judy to deal with.

"I still say you should have come in with me," she said to him as they strolled down the sidewalk. "They're never gonna get over it unless you're there to show them how ridiculous they're being."

"Aww, Carrots, you miss me? I'm flattered," he lifted his aviators to raise an eyebrow at her. "You didn't need me in there. All I would have done was make them nervous."

Judy gave him an admonishing glare. "Nick, that's what _this_ is about," she tugged at his sleeve. "You're taking the first step towards less of all this fox-fearing nonsense and being there for the boring stuff is part of it. Plus the next time you leave me to deal with telling somebody who knew they were doing something wrong that _they were doing something wrong_ I _will_ call mom and I **_will_** tell her not to send blueberries anymore."

Nick drew in a sharp gasp and stared wide-eyed at his partner. "You wouldn't."

She stared straight back at him. "Don't test me, Wilde."

Nick whistled, enjoying the exchange despite the threat. "You know, for an officer of the law you're surprisingly partial to blackmail. Should I be taking notes?"

_"Nick."_

"All _right_ I'll be there!" He chuckled good-naturedly and ducked to avoid a ball somebody had thrown as they entered the park. "You're a dangerous bunny, Hopps."

"I try."

She grinned smugly and Nick felt himself melt a little. It was so easy being with her. His whole life he'd learned to be on guard around everybody- his first taste of the consequences of not watching his back being what had artfully been dubbed The Incident. Time spent with Judy, however...

Their ears perked up at the sound of her ringtone and she rushed to accept it while he occupied himself with examining his surroundings. Breathing deeply, he watched a group of children playing tag and smiled a little. Time spent with Judy was _effortless_.

 _"Hi, sweetheart!"_ he heard Judy's mother call through the device.

"Hi mom!" Judy responded warmly, and Nick chose that moment to stop paying attention. Not that it was easy.

"Uhuh..." he kept one ear pointed in her direction as they headed towards a bench and perched on the edge. "Oh! Can- yeah! Yeah? Ah! Great!"

Nick shot her an inquisitive look but she shook her head, grinning enthusiastically, which only served to spur his curiosity. If she was making the effort to hide it from him it was definitely big news- or at least important news. He flicked his tail playfully and attempted to distract himself by scanning the park again and spotted an old horse in a trenchcoat throwing small chunks of bread into the empty pond. Hm.

He was still pondering whether or not this was something he ought to report when Judy hung up and pulled eagerly at his arm, drawing his attention back to her.

"Okay- first of all, mom says hi," she began eagerly, "and second of all- how do you feel about coming back to Bunnyburrow with me at the end of the month for a week-long family get-together?"

"Oh." His eyes widened in surprise and he felt an odd twinge in his belly. His tail curled involuntarily. "Are you... sure?" he asked hesitantly. "I mean that's, what, three hundred siblings now? Would there even be room for me?" _Would I even be welcome?_

"Of course! There's always room for guests- plus since I'm older I get my own space and unless mom and dad have rearranged it- which isn't likely- I've got a double if you don't mind sharing."

He already knew he was going to say yes, the look on her face was too excited to deny- but he couldn't help the flutter of worry in his chest. Meeting Judy's family in person was one thing, but she was proposing he meet _several hundred_ of them at once. He wasn't comfortable with being surrounded by prey at the best of times, but a small army of bunnies?

He must have taken too long to answer, for the next moment her face fell. "I mean, it's okay if you don't want to, I know it's a big first step-"

"What? No, no-" he hurried to reassure her. "You couldn't stop me from tagging along if you wanted to, I'm not staying here with Bogo alone- are you sure your family would be okay with it though?"

She lightened a little, but she still looked concerned. "If you're worried about the numbers, I can always threaten the kids with laundry duty to stop them from jumping on you. I'm one of the oldest, I've got _authority_."

Nick first pictured himself buried under a large pile of fluffy children and then those same children folding tiny clothes under the watchful gaze of their sister and let out a bark of laughter at the image, shaking his head and sliding off the bench. When Judy smiled at him as she joined him at his side he smiled back, shaking his head again.

"I always forget how big your family is, Carrots. I don't know how your parents do it, honestly."

Judy's smile widened. "It's not _that_ bad. I mean sure, the first litters were a handful from what they told me, but once they grew up and started helping out with the next bunch things became a lot easier. Plus they both had a bunch of aunts and uncles all willing to lend a hand and we had tons of games to keep us occupied, so."

"Oh? Tell me more, Carrots. Tell me more about your childhood bunny games."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Maybe if you're lucky the kids will want to play some with you- and when I say lucky I mean it, they _are_ fun. But honestly, the reason I invited you now is _because_ it's a family reunion- and I don't just mean all _my_ brothers and sisters and their families, I mean my grandparents and _their_ children and- basically as many members of the Hopps family we can fit in the area. Which- yes- sounds bad," she held up her paws at his panicked look, "but it means I can drag you away for time to ourselves without having to come up with some lame excuse for it. If it was just my parents and siblings I don't think we'd even get a _second_ of alone time."

"Oh!" Nick grinned, the entire affair immediately sounding much less daunting. "Well well, sly bunny strikes again!"

"It's not _sly_ , it's- alright, it's sly," she admitted with a huff. "But, you know, I want your first time in Bunnyburrow to be nice and I didn't think you'd be happy for long dealing with the littlest Hoppses for twenty-four hours straight. They'll still be excited, but at least this way they'll have all their aunties and uncles and gramma and grandpa to keep them occupied. Long enough for us to grab some plums and hide, anyway," she added with a wink.

Nick felt an abrupt wave of gratitude towards the bunny and grinned hugely, wrapping an arm lazily around her shoulders. "I knew I liked you for a reason, Carrots."

"The fruit?"

"The fruit."

Their afternoon was just as uneventful as their morning, but with the promise of the trip to Bunnyburrow on the horizon, Nick's nerves were abuzz the entire time. The end of the month just couldn't come soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact- I re-wrote the first few paragraphs of this fic about five times before I was happy with the result, which is why it's coming to you fine people so much later than the last one!
> 
> Anyway, I know this chapter might be a bit slow despite the word count, but it's mostly just setting up for future chapters- and don't worry, I'll be getting to the actual meeting as soon as I can! First thing next chapter, Nick and Judy will be getting on the train to Bunnyburrow and things should be relatively smooth from there ^-^ I'll also be looking a bit deeper into Nick's personality and his relationship with Judy from his point of view, and how it relates to what I headcanon as being his past experiences without too much deviation from canon later in the fic~
> 
> Also! Much of my portrayal of how the police force works throughout this whole series is going to be extremely basic- I'll try to make it as accurate as possible, but I'm afraid I don't know much and there's only so much Google can give me -_- So any advice would be thoroughly appreciated!
> 
> Also, if anyone's interested, I drew Nick and Judy at Corgini's from the "I'll Call You Back" fic- http://coffeepotcat.tumblr.com/post/142180085134/well-it-happened-i-fell-for-zootopia-who
> 
> Thanks for reading!! :D


	2. Train Hopping

Nick couldn't properly remember the last time he'd left Zootopia. Keeping up a solid income doing a conman's work wasn't easy and it hadn't left him much time for travelling except within city limits. Now, sitting beside Judy in the raised section at the front of the train and watching Zootopia's numerous districts pass by beside them, he couldn't help but marvel at the sight; it really was no wonder it had such an incredible reputation- had he the mind to take pictures, any one of them would have been postcard material. When the city disappeared from view he settled back into his seat and kept an eye out the window, waiting anxiously for the first sign that they were approaching Judy's hometown despite knowing it was still hours away.

The weeks leading up to the visit had been more stressful than he cared to admit. Judy had done her best to keep him occupied and distracted from fantasizing about every way things could go wrong, from messing up the word "hello" to literal cave-ins and fiery tornados, but there were only so many cases Zootopia had to offer and as much as Nick enjoyed their trips to various food joints and cafes and even shopping for clothes, his mind was a quick one and not easily taken off-task.

He plucked absently at his brand-new t-shirt and flicked his tail. It was odd not wearing a tie for once, but Judy had been adamant that his presentation be both casual and acceptable and that if she caught him wearing either his iconic green shirt or tie even _once_ during the visit she would rescind his television privileges for a month- and Nick _refused_ to miss even a single episode of Hannibull. Besides, it was nice to have somebody fuss over his appearance- it had been far too long since he'd had anybody who cared enough about him to even think to.

"Two hours."

Judy's voice jolted him out of his reverie and he turned to look at her, sitting beside him in her favourite outfit and smiling widely at him. "Two- oh. Wow, that was quick." It was hard to believe it had been a full hour since they'd left the station. Nick rarely let his mind wander for so long. "And then how far is it from the station to your parents' place again?"

"About forty minutes- mom and dad said they'd be meeting us at the station alone so they didn't have to mess around with transport for everyone since they're already so busy getting ready for tomorrow- when most of the guests are arriving." She beamed and Nick grinned in response. He couldn't say he was nearly as excited to be there for obvious reasons, but her enthusiasm was incredibly infectious.

"Sounds good, Carrots." Sighing happily, Nick leaned even further back and laid his arm across Judy's shoulders. "You think Bogo's gonna miss us while we're gone?"

Judy's mouth twitched. "Of course he is, we're the coolest kids on the force."

"Damn straight we are."

"You're not allowed to call me Carrots while we're there, either. At least not in front of my family, anyway."

"Hmmm." Nick pretended to be in deep thought, twisting his features in a way he knew would make her snort. It did. "What do I call you instead?"

She fixed him with a glare devoid of reprehension. "Nothing even remotely related to rabbits or any of their attributes. Just call me Judes or Judy like you're normally do in polite company."

Nick's grin widened. "Can I call you Judith?"

Judy's did as well. "Only if you're happy to let me and my family call you Nicholas Piberius for the entire week."

Nick winced and let out a low whistle. "Tough call, rabbit. Tough call."

Judy giggled and they fell into sweet silence, staring out the window together at the passing countryside, watching the tiny towns in the distance as they lazily drifted past. He'd seen his share of incredible sights before, but this was the first time in a _long_ time he'd had anybody to share them with.

He breathed out slowly through his nose and shifted so that Judy was leaning into him. The closest he'd had to anything like a friend was Finnick, and while usually amiable, he wasn't exactly someone you'd go for drinks with. The Nick Wilde of just over a year before would have balked at the idea of ever getting so cozy with anyone.

A younger Nick would have panicked and questioned himself just as Judy had done only a few months ago.

And younger than that, Nicholas Wilde the teenage hustler would have become shaky with relief. One less thing to worry about. One less reason for people to hate him.

Nick eyed the friendship bracelet still wound tightly around his wrist. He'd come such a long way since then.

The grass had darkened by two shades and the sky was a deep, thunderous grey before either of them spoke again. It was in a subdued voice that Judy, after checking her phone for the thousandth time that trip, informed him that her parents couldn't make it and Gideon would be picking them up instead.

"He's the piemaker, yeah?" Nick asked, shoving the much more accusatory question to the back of his mind.

Judy nodded and made an annoyed sound. "Uncle Hoagie showed up with his wife Angela just a few minutes ago even though they weren't supposed to get there 'till _Tuesday_."

"Rude."

"I know! Well, no, they're nice people, just a bit scatterbrained- but basically mom and dad are just super busy getting ready for everyone else as well as making sure they're both happy and comfortable and catching up and all that and, well, they figured sending Gideon would just be easier on everyone involved. He doesn't live too far away and it'd be nice to be able to properly chat about stuff without running off mid-conversation," Judy shrugged. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I will be perfectly gracious for the small fee of exactly two-thirds of a blueberry pie."

Judy laughed and tucked her phone into her back pocket, rocking back and forth in her seat and looking gleefully at the clouds rolling above them. "I think that can _somehow_ be arranged." She paused. "Looks like it's gonna rain, too."

"Mm."

There was another moment of calm silence during which Judy stopped rocking and let her shoulders droop. Her gaze switched abruptly to Nick and he flicked his ear to show he was listening, but didn't move his eyes from the window.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said. "I'm sorry for making you come during such an... _event_ , I mean- I know I kind of pushed it on you without thinking, so..." she sighed slowly, smoothing down the fur on her hands. "It'll be good to have you there. For me, I mean. I don't really care what anybody else thinks about you being there, honestly, but I know it's different for you. Just that... not all of my family is made up of the greatest people and you _knew_ that but you're coming anyway and it- it means a lot to me. So thank you."

There were so many things he could respond with. He'd known when he agreed it was going to be at least a little difficult- if Judy were anyone else he wouldn't have yes in the first place- but it wasn't all bad, not really. Certainly nothing worth sounding so sincere about. He'd dealt with the people Judy was describing his whole life so it wasn't like it was anything new, and despite what she said, he couldn't imagine any of her family being even half as bad as some of the people he'd met before.

He wanted to tell her she didn't have to thank him, that he would have agreed to go even if they _weren't_ going to get the moments alone she was promising- that as much as he liked to complain about what she put him through he would never stop being grateful for everything she'd done for him and everything she was continuing to _be_ for him.

He told her instead that she was a fiend, a rapscallion, to keep taking advantage of such a sweet, poor fox such as himself, and when she burst into laughter and reached up to tug affectionately at his hear he laughed with her, warm and genuine. The first few drops of rain hit the roof of the train and quickly became a torrent, surrounding them with white noise, and the countryside turned into a watery blur through the window.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so originally this chapter was going to be a bit longer and the train ride would be a lot shorter, but Nick's internal thoughts got a bit carried away and basically I figured I should just cut it before they got off the train- which means that the next chapter will have them finally in Bunnyburrow and meeting up with Gideon! :D
> 
> Thank you all for reading- and thank you all so much for the kudos and the comments!! I grin like an idiot every time I read one and get all fired up for a quick update, so they're helping with my schedule too, hehe ^-^


	3. Foxtrot

By the time the train reached Bunnyburrow Station- which was, without a doubt, just about the most adorable building Nick had ever laid eyes on- the shower of rain had become a torrent, and then a storm. The moment the doors opened Nick and Judy made a mad dash for the station building, squinting and grimacing against the rain pelting against their now soaking-wet fur. It was there that they found Gideon seated close to a large heater at the side of the room- the closest thing the small building had to a fur-drying station. Given what Judy had told him of their history Nick wasn't surprised to see Gideon looked a little nervous to see them, but was relieved to also note that he seemed more clam and cheerful than anything else. He stood the moment he saw them and spread his arms in a gesture of welcome, smiling widely without baring too many teeth.

"Judy!" he exclaimed happily, "It's great to see ya!" He moved forward to greet them and Nick couldn't help the twitch of his ear when Judy beamed, set her suitcase down and pulled him into a brief hug, nor the quiet snort of amusement at the surprised look which flitted across Gideon's face.

"It's good to see you too, Gideon," she responded as she pulled back, nonchalantly shuffling sideways towards the heater. "How's business?"

Gideon relaxed completely then, visibly brightening at the mention of his pies. "Good! The store's runnin' well, and Bonn- your ma n' pa are just about the best partners I could ask for, they're really helpin' me out with supplies- I can always count on 'em to give me the best pick of the harvest- oh! But what about you? How's the, uh- officer-ing thing goin'? And is this...?" he trailed off, looking properly at Nick for the first time, and Nick was only a little surprised to see him tense up again.

Judy glanced back at him and Nick was sorely tempted to snicker at the silent warning in her eyes. _Be Nice_ , they told him, and while he could understand where the reproach was coming from he had no intention of being anything but pleasant with the fox before him. Whatever had happened between him and Judy when they were younger had happened between _him and Judy_ , and his friend had already made it clear that she had long since forgiven him. Besides, he was making an effort to change, to be better- and _that_ was something Nick could sincerely relate to.

"Nick Wilde, partner-in-anti-crime, pleasure to meet you," he introduced himself, holding out a paw and smoothly sliding forward to stand beside Judy. He smiled and pushed his ears back in a non-threatening way, keeping his claws sheathed and his gaze steady. Gideon Grey was half a head shorter than him yet twice as broad, but the large fox still appeared cautious when he grasped Nick's paw in a firm handshake, visibly loosening up after a moment before breaking out into a wide grin and looking more enthusiastic than ever.

"Judy's partner, yeah?" he asked, and when Nick nodded, he whistled in appreciation. "Look, I just gotta tell ya- that's a real fine thing you're doin' there. Heck, well-" he hesitated, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly and avoiding Nick's gaze. "Well when I was younger n' angrier n' I said things like bunnies couldn't be cops, well I woulda said just the same thing about cop foxes. Just didn't seem possible, you know? Then I heard Judy graduated and if _that_ didn't blow my mind, just look who she's workin' with! It's just- it's a real fine thing you two are doin' there, Mr. Wilde."

"Oh..." Well, that had completely thrown off Nick's approach. It was one thing to hear that sort of praise from Judy, but the sheer awe and gratitude in Gideon's voice was staggering. It was something he'd thought of, of course- being the _first_ fox cop was too much of a thing not to- but it was another entirely to hear it from somebody else. He could see Judy beaming at him out of the corner of his eye and had to fight not to swell with pride. Ignoring the swift beating of his heart, Nick gave Gideon as casual a smile as he could manage and replied, "Just call me Nick- and hey, if you wanted to thank me with something a little more tangible I wouldn't say no to a slice of one of your famous pies," he grinned slyly and waggled his eyebrows, breaking the facade only when Judy rolled her eyes and shoved lightly at his elbow.

"Not necessary Wilde, you'll get your treats later," she scolded. "Sorry about him," she said, turning to Gideon while Nick did his best to look offended. "He's been hearing a lot about your pies over the past few weeks- you'll probably see him in your store at least a couple of times before we head back."

Gideon looked positively radiant. "Well heck, that's awful kind of you to say- and he's welcome any time, the both of you are. I'd invite you over now if your parents weren't so keen to get you home."

Judy laughed, and after one last fond look at the heater, sighed and nodded. "Alright then, we should probably head off, huh? Thank you so much for doing this, by the way."

Gideon waved off her thanks and shook his head. "It was nothin', my pleasure really- especially after they helped me out with- did they tell you about the whole mess with my cousin Barley?"

"No? What-" Judy exchanged quick glances with Nick, who nodded and grabbed her suitcase, following behind while she scurried ahead with Gideon. She shot him a grateful smile. "What happened?"

Nick watched Judy fondly as the two chatted with each other, mouth twitching at every one of her gasps and exclamations at what was clearly a very riveting tale. Unfortunately Gideon had completely forgotten to bring any umbrellas with him which meant another mad dash through the rain to his van, but as much as he apologised for it neither of the partners really minded. Nick counted the warmth and heavenly smell of Gideon's van apology enough for getting soaked. The trip from there was surprisingly quick- likely due to the pleasant company- and by the time they reached the Hopps family's warren Nick found himself thoroughly engaged as well.

"Thanks again for picking us up, Gideon," Judy said as she and Nick retrieved their suitcases from the back. "It's been really nice seeing you again."

"Great to see you too, Judy," he replied warmly, "and again, it was no trouble- you n' Nick are welcome to come visit any time you like. You said blueberry was your favourite, right?" he turned to Nick, who nodded, grinning, and laughed before shaking his hand one last time. "It's been a real pleasure to meet you n' all. Take care, the both of you!"

"You too!" Judy called, and with one last wave Gideon was in his van and disappearing into the distance.

While Judy watched him go, Nick took the opportunity to survey his surroundings. He and Judy stood beneath the awning of her family's house at the highest spot on the edge of town, giving him an excellent view, and Bunnyburrow was a _very_ colourful place. A great number of massive hills both natural and mammal-made covered in flat-fronted buildings, it was covered in gardens and flowerbeds of all shapes and sizes and surrounded by trees, giving the area a closed-in, cozy feeling. The buildings were all shaped like an odd mix between bunnies and eggs and each coloured differently, standing out against the bright green grass and covered in a delightful array of flower-themed decorations. If he squinted Nick could spy the distant form of Clover Mall through the rain in the distance and wondered vaguely how many people were caught darting to and fro through the downpour.

If Judy hadn't been standing right next to him with her paw raised to ring the doorbell and her eyes fixed on him with a look of warning he would have called it adorable and suffered the pain to his arm as punishment, but he was there to be a gracious guest of the family and thus settled for wiggling his eyebrows at her and smirking. She punched him in the arm for that anyway and he snickered, but his glee died down when she pushed the tiny flower-shaped button beside the door and the distant sounds of frolicking children inside the warren abruptly grew louder with the ringing of the bell.

A full minute passed as they stood there listening to the cacophony grow in volume and proximity and Nick involuntarily took a step back, his keen hearing picking up all too well on the sheer number of young rabbits headed their way. Judy placed a hand on his arm and he managed to relax a little, but it wasn't until he heard the voice of Judy's father shooing them all away that the tension left him entirely. When the door swung open to reveal Stu Hopps surrounded by at least twenty of his children he snorted, but his amusement was short-lived as they all swarmed forwards despite their father's attempts to hold them back. Nick darted out of the way just in time to avoid them, coming to stop a short distance away at the very edge of the awning and staring in awe as Judy squealed and began hugging and kissing every one of her siblings, greeting them each by name and gushing over how much they'd grown. He watched as Judy's father gave up on approaching her for the moment and shuffled his way out of the crowd, exhaling heavily before catching Nick's eye and wandering over with a cheery grin.

"Nick!" he greeted excitedly, attracting the attention of a few of his children, whose eyes widened upon spotting the fox for the first time. He reached for a handshake without hesitation and Nick would have been lying if he'd said he wasn't relieved things were only a little more awkward between them in person than they were over the phone. Whatever leftover nerves he felt after the rush of small children disappeared when Stu then reached up to place a fuzzy paw on his shoulder and turned to shake his head exasperatedly at the young bunnies still hopping around their big sister.

" _Every_ time she comes back for a visit they're on her in seconds." He chuckled nervously, "Hope you're ready to get the same treatment as soon as they're done with her."

He clapped Nick's shoulder and the fox stooped a little to accommodate the height difference, suddenly very aware of how many small bunny faces were now turned eagerly in his direction. Coughing awkwardly, he avoided their gaze and glanced down at Stu, casually shrugging his hand off and rubbing his shoulder in its place. "What is it they say on TV? 'Ready as I'll ever be'?"

Stu laughed and nodded approvingly, placing his hands on his hips. "Kids!" he yelled, and every bunny in the vicinity- including Nick- jumped at the noise. He pressed a hand to Nick's back and the fox tensed a little, unused to being touched so much by anyone other than Judy, but did his best to hide his discomfort with a smirk. "Meet your uncle Nick, he's Judy's partner at the ZPD!"

There was a moment of silence, then-

"Your partner's a fox?" a tiny ashen-grey bunny asked, looking up in shock at her sister.

Nick was sorely tempted to flee at the spark of amusement in Judy's eyes. She beamed at him. "That's right, he is! Zootopia's _first_ fox cop, in fact!"

There was a collective noise of admiration and suddenly they were upon him, thirty or so tiny rabbits all clamouring for a spot in the bizarre semi-circle about his knees, all crowding the space beneath the awning while more still trailed out from within the warren. A violent shiver ran down Nick's spine and he went to take a step back before realising he was cornered by the rain, but luckily Stu seemed to sense his distress and chose that moment to intervene. He placed himself between Nick and the swarm of tiny rabbits and put out his paws, firmly herding them back inside the warren- much to their indignation.

"Come on now, come on- Nick and Judy can answer all your questions _after_ they're settled. Isn't that right, Jude the Dude?" Stu looked eagerly at his daughter with his eyebrows raised and Judy snorted, nodding enthusiastically, and when he gave the same look to Nick he nodded as well, exchanging glances with Judy before rolling his eyes at her gleeful grin and fetching both of their suitcases.

"Lead the way, Carrots," he murmured as she passed him, quietly, for nobody else to hear.

She chuckled, watching in amusement as he had to duck to fit through the doorway. "Good to have you here, Slick." She caught him by the arm and her smile suddenly became much more genuine. "Really. It's good to have you here."

Nick breathed deeply, inhaling the mixed scents of the burrow overpowered by what he identified as being freshly-baked carrot cake, and stared down the short, round corridor before them. "Couldn't be anywhere else."

The week ahead was going to be an odd one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick update!! Not making any promises, but I'll try to keep this ball rolling!!
> 
> I feel like I should talk about how I wrote Nick's meeting with Gideon?? I know it might be a little less intense than a lot of people were expecting, but this fic does take place roughly a year after the events of Zootopia- Judy would definitely have told Nick about Gideon and what happened by then, but more importantly she would have told him that Gideon was a changed fox and had apologised for mistreating her- and that she'd forgiven him. While understandably unhappy with knowing that Gideon had hurt his best friend and partner, I can't see Nick as being the sort of mammal to hold any unreasonable grudges- if Judy hadn't forgiven Gideon his attitude would be somewhat different, but the way he sees it Judy's moved on and Gideon's trying to change so there's not really any reason for him to get worked up about it, which opens up the opportunity for the two of them to become friends as well!
> 
> And for everyone who was excited about Gideon showing up, don't worry- he'll get at least one more appearance later in the fic too :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!!! ^-^


End file.
